LANSING — State Sen. Jim Marleau, R-Lake Orion, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, and sponsor of the Department of Community Health budget, offered the following statement Tuesday after the Senate approved its Fiscal Year 2016 budget:

“Our residents, who are being more intentional about becoming healthy, deserve access to high quality health care. This budget supports those making healthier decisions, and it helps ensure access to care while allowing residents to compare hospital outcomes.

“In addition, the budget will cover all children of low-income families in Kent, Oakland and Wayne counties under the Healthy Kids Dental program, starting July 1, 2016.

“Underserved children in these counties currently are not covered by the program. But under this budget, now for the first time, both low-income children and adults will have access to dental care across every community.”

“This is a good budget that supports our residents in their efforts to get and stay healthy.”